LASG: Tejuosho Never Purchased Deputy Speaker’s Residence

Gboyega Akinsanmi

The Lagos State Government wednesday disclosed that former Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Hon. Funmilayo Tejuosho never purchased a property located at No. 3A Sasegbon Street, Ikeja GRA under the state’s monetisation policy as widely claimed.

The state government disclosed that Debam Maga Solution Limited that purchased the official residence of the State Deputy Speaker in error and its two directors could not benefit from the state’s monetisation policy.

This is contained in a statement by the Commissioner for Information & Strategy, Mr. Steve Ayorinde, noting that the tussle over the ownership of the house “does not involve the office of Lagos State Governor as being erroneously alleged.”

Kayode Tejuosho, husband of the lawmaker, had claimed in a statement that she purchased the property in contention from the state government through her company, Debam Mega Solutions Limited, when she was the Deputy Speaker of the State Assembly through the monetisation policy of the state government.

He had also claimed that the lawmaker purchased the property located at No. 3A Sasegbon Street, Ikeja GRA at N150 million from the state government while she was the deputy speaker, thereby claiming the rightful owner of the property.

But in a statement yesterday, the statement government said it ought not to dignify Mr. Kayode Tejuosho’s befuddling statement to with a response. However, in order not to have the public misinformed being neither an official of Lagos State nor the purported beneficiary of the government property.

It thus clarified its position on the ownership of the property, noting that the matter in question “does not involve the governor’s office as being erroneously alleged but a tussle of ownership on a government property between an interloper and the Deputy Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly.”

The statement acknowledged that a form of monetisation policy that allowed certain levels of government officials and political appointees “to purchase official quarters in their individual capacity on owner-occupier basis.”

It clarified that the monetisation policy never extended to companies like Debam Maga Solution which being no government entity could not have legally made a bid for a government property or individuals who are not officials of the state government.

It disclosed that the names of the two directors of the said company “are never Lagos State officials and the media is encouraged to investigate the names of those directors with the Corporate Affairs Commission whether the company is owned by the Tejuoshos or not as claimed by the husband.

It thus described Tejuosho’s claim to the property as a misdirected claim, noting that the couple “did not make any purchase on the property. The company that made the purported purchase did so in error and is yet to step forward to challenge the cancellation.”

It noted that the company – Debam Mega Solutions Limited – which paid only a portion of the offer price never compeleted payments on it that would have entitled its full take-over and access to Certificate of Occupancy.

The statement added that the incomplete payment “has since been refunded to the company and the property retrieved so that it can continue to serve as the official quarters of the Deputy Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly.”